Airport adding parking -- for planes

Up to 300 aircraft possible for ND's home opener Sept. 9.

Up to 300 aircraft possible for ND's home opener Sept. 9.

July 22, 2006|JOSHUA STOWE Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Citing heightened demand from Fighting Irish football fans, the local airport is expanding its airplane parking capacity a year ahead of schedule to prepare for the Sept. 9 home opener against Penn State University. The move is yet another indication that this football season could be especially lucrative for Michiana, pumping plenty of tourist dollars into the local economy, officials said. The project at South Bend Regional Airport calls for expanding the general aviation apron, said John Schalliol, the airport's executive director. It is expected to cost more than $715,000, he said. The expanded apron will be 1,600 feet long and 200 feet wide, allowing the airport to avoid the parking problems it faced last year during the USC game, Schalliol said. "It will go a long way toward solving the congestion problems we experienced," Schalliol said. "I thought I had a year and a half to do this ... and all of a sudden, here comes Penn State with all this demand." The apron expansion project was originally set for summer 2007, Schalliol said. But so far, all indications are that the first home game weekend will be quite busy, said Sam Heiter, general manager of Corporate Wings in South Bend. The company provides services for private flights, including fueling and parking planes as well as arranging vehicle rentals and reserving hotel rooms for clients. "We've already receiving a large number of requests for hotel reservations and rental cars from people who are our regular clients," Heiter said. "We're experiencing a very large game for the opening. We're very grateful that the airport is working with us on that. Every extra bit of concrete helps." Schalliol estimated that the expanded apron would accommodate about 100 planes; Heiter said it would take at least 60, adding that Corporate Wings wants to ensure the parking area isn't overcrowded. "We're expecting at least 225 airplanes this year for the opening game, but we're planning for 300," Heiter said, adding that Corporate Wings saw about 300 planes for last year's USC game. The airport's earlier-than-planned apron expansion is the latest sign of Fighting Irish fan demand. In March, the South Bend/Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that hotel bookings for early games had led it to start tracking hotel demand months earlier than usual. At the time, Greg Ayers, the bureau's executive director, said that a conservative estimate indicates that visiting football fans spend about $6.3 million locally for each home game. With seven home games this season, he said, the local area could easily rake $44.1 million in tourist dollars. Meanwhile, Heiter said he thinks this football season could be the busiest one yet for Corporate Wings, the airport and area merchants. "We certainly do hope that happens," he said. "This is something that's good not only for us, but for the whole community."Staff writer Joshua Stowe: jstowe@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6359